Side bearing



Patented dan. 23, 1923..

@rrf s@N Laan rarnreesiss.

WILLIAM A; GEIGER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM II. MINER,OF GHAZY, NEW YORK.

SIDE BEARING.

.Application filed January 23, 1920. Serial No. 353,441.

To all i0 710m t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. Gmenn, acitizen of United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inSide Bearings, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, andeXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification.

This invention relates'to improvements in side bearings. The-object ofthe invention is to provide an efficient and automaticallyself-centering and self-alining anti-friction bearing espe` ciallyadapted for use as a side bearing on railway cars and wherein i'semployed a minimum number of parts of substantial construction, thebearing being `free from springs or other devices likely to break oreasily get out of order.

In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is avertical sectional view `taken through the ends of a body and Va truckbolster of a car showing my im provements in connection therewith. As

shown in this view, the side bearing is ap` plied to the truck bolster.Figure 2 is a top `planlview of the improved bearing proper, `partsbeing broken away in order to accommodate the figure on the sheet. -AndFigure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1.

`In said drawing, '10 denotes the under side of a body bolster and 11the upper side of a rtruck bolster, both being related *in theusualmanner of body and truclr holsters of a car. f

The improved bearing, which is preferably attached to the truck bolster,comprises, broadly, a base casting, housing or retaining memberdesignated generally by the letter A; an antifriction element designatedby the letter B; and an adjustable bearing Vplate designated by theyletter C.

vThe housing or retaining member A. as shown. is of substantially hollowbox-like forni having end walls 12-12, side walls 13-413, a bottom wall14, and corner lugs l5- 15, the latter being perforated to acw commodaterivets or other suitable Securing devices.

rIhe anti-'friction element, as shown, is preferably in the form of aone-piece cast roller of cylindrical form having a main cylindrical bodyor section 1`6Yand laterally extended projections 17-17 at its ends.

The projections or lugs 17, as clearly indicated in the drawing, aredisposed below the center of the rolling element so as to therevby actas overbalances or counterweights in returning the anti-frictionelementto its central normal position after each actuation and uponrelease of the actuating pressure. As clearly seen from Figure 3, thelength ofthe main part of the element B is appreciably less than thedistance between the side v walls 13 -so as to thereby permit thetilting or lateral adjustment of the anti-friction element with respecttothe member A.

The tilting action of the anti-friction element B is obtained by meansof the plate C. The latter is provided on its upperside with a fiatbearing seat or surface 18 and on its under side is made convex asindicated at 19. The bottom wall 14 of the member A is provided withacooperatingy concave groove 2() as shown in Figure 3. The convex andconcave cooperating surfaces of the plate and bottom wall of the 4memberA extend lengthwise of the member A, that is, transversely of thebolsters and transversely of the axis of the anti-friction element B.With this construction it is evident that the anti-friction element B isadaptedto tilt or rock and thereby present its upper bearing surfacealways in full line contact with the under surface of thebody bolster.This is of importance in railway side bearings because of the fact thatit is diiiicult toobtain perfect alinement between the bearing surfacesof I the opposed holsters and furthermore, even if such alinement isobtained at the time'the bearings are applied, the alinement isfrequently lost because vof wear in the various parts of .the bolstersand also because of deflection in the bolsters due to the loads thereon.Vith my construction. full line bearing contacts are maintained betweenthe anti-friction element B and the body bolster on the 'one hand andbetween the anti-friction 'elementrB and the plate C on the other handThis Yis accomplished without the use of'any weak elements and it willbe noted that both the 'anti-friction element B and the plate are alwaysunder compression, thereby affording maximum strength `in theconstruction.

The platel C extendsV through suitable openings 21--21 in the end wallsofthe member CII the plate C in order to accommodate movements ot thelatter'. Accidentalv removal oit the plate C is prevented by means ofcotters 22-22 passed through the projected ends of the plate C, asclearly indicated in Figures 1 and 2.

It is also highly desirable to prevent any bodily shifting oiz theanti-'friction element B, that is, not onlymust the element B be broughtto its upright normal position after each actuation but it must bebrought to this position at the central point in the retaining member Ain order to permit of full movement of the anti-friction element at anytime it is brought into action. To accomplish this result, the extendedprojections 17 are made of peculiar form and cooperate vwith peculiarlyformed recesses or openings 23-2I3 in the side walls of the member A. Itwill be noted that in end elevation, each projection `17 has a lowercurved edge 24 concentric with the surface of the element B; an `upperhorizontally extending edge 25; and arcuate edges 26-26 uniting thehorizontal edge 25 with the curvededge 2l. The contour of each openingor recess 23 includes vertically extendingedges 27-27 and upwardlyconverging slightly curved edges 28-28 which merge as indicated at 29.The edges 28-28 ot the openings 23, are, in eftect,generated by pointsin the curved edges 2t3-26` of the projections v17. In normal 'positionof the anti-friction element B, as

shown in Figure l, the curved edges 26-26 ot the projections 17 are inwhat may be termed loose contact with the edges 28-28 of the openings 23so that, the anti-friction element B cannot be shifted bodilyhorizontally so long as the element B maintains its normal balancedposition. As the antifriction element B is rolled to either side, as forinstance to the left as viewed 1n Figure l, the lefthand edge 28 is madeto conv form with the path of movement of the lefthand curvededge 26 andsimilarly the frighthand edge 28 of the opening 23v is made to conformto Athe path traveled by 4the righthand curved edge 26 of the projectioni 17. In other words, in. any position of the anti-friction `elementless than its extreme limit of movement, there will be two points ofcontact between each projection 17 and the edges of the opening 23 andof course a point of Contact between the curved edge 2li of eachprojection and the adjustable plate C, By maintaining` this three-pointContact, the anti-friction element B cannot be shifted bodily, at anypoint in its travel. Theiinal movement oit the anti-friction element Bis preferably limited by engagement of the element B with the end wallot the member A and also by the simultaneous positioning of thehorizontal edges 25 of the lugs `17 against one of the correspondingedges, l287,015* the openings 23.Y Y

In order to prevent binding ot the parts and to permit the action justdescribed, the upper horizontal edges 25 of the lugs 17 are downwardlyand outwardly tapered or beveled asindicated at 30-30 in Figure 3 andthe edges 28-28 defining the openings 23 are slightly outwardly flaredin transverse section as indicated at 31-31 in Figure 8. I'Vith thisarrangement, when the antrfriction element B extends perfectlyhorizontally, the contact between the lugs 17 and the edges of theopenings 23 will be approximately in planes coinciding with the innersurfaces ot theside walls 13 but as the roller is tilted, the points otContact will move slightly outwardly because of the tapered and flaredformations hereinbefore mentioned.

Another important feature of my invention and which contributes to itssimplicity, is the method of assembling the parts and holding them inassembled relation. In assembling the side bearing, the anti-frictionelement is first dropped within the retaining member A in a position atright angles to the normal position assumed by the element B, that iswith the lugs 17-17 eX- tending lengthwise of the member A. This is donebefore the plate C is inserted. The a11ti-friction element B through anangle of 90 which can be done because ot the fact that the anti-frictionelement is in a lower position than that which it normally occupies.After the element haslthus been turned to its proper position,w

it is 'elevated and the plate C then inserted lengthwise, thus holdingthe partsrin assembled position and eliminating possibility of any partassuming an improper position.

It will be noted that in my improved side bearing, I employ only threeparts each of which is of substantial construction and may be cheaplymanufactured and no part is subjected to any strain/other thancompression.

Although I have hereinshown and described what I now considertheppreiferred manner of carrying out the invention, the same is merelyillustrative and I contemplate sufifh changes and modifications as comewithin the scope of the claims appended heretrrl I claim 1 l.- In a sidebearing, the combination with a hollow retaining member adapted to besecured to a bolster and having the side walls thereof? provided withrecesses, the edges ot said recesses being flared outwardlygol ananti-friction element adapted to roll back and ttorth within said memberand having overbalancing projections at its ends extending within saidrecesses, said projections be king downwardly and outwardly tapered onichMm ramera formed that two points of light contact between eachprojection and the corresponding recess is maintained in all positionsof the anti-friction element; and means associated with said element andthe retaining` member forming an adjustable bearing seat for saidelement to permit the latter to tilt laterally.

2. In a side bearing7 the combination with a hollow retaining memberadapted to be. secured to a bolster and having` the side walls thereofprovided with recesses, the edges of said recesses being flaredoutwardly; of an anti-friction element adapted to roll back and forthwithin said member and having overbalancing projections at its endsextending' within said recesses, said projections being downwardly andoutwardly tapered on their top edges when the element is in normalposition, the contours ot' said projections and the edges deining therecesses being so formed that two points oit light contact bctween eachprojection and the corresponding recess is maintained in all positionsof the anti-friction element; and means associated with said element andthe retaining member forming an adjustable bearing;` seat for saideiement to permit the latter to tilt laterally, said means including` aplate removably associated with the retaining member, said plate havingits under side convex in transverse section and the bottom of saidmember having a corresponding,- concave groove.

n witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 5th day of Jan. 1920.

WILLIAM A. GEIGER. llfitiiess:

CARRIE GAILING.

